Mystery Updates

First of all, THANK YOU to all that have written and commented here. WOW. I am in awe of the support. Seriously.

Things that have been suggested:

B12 - I actually had this tested before Fargo when the doc noted my high MCV values. They tested for B12, folate, and Vitamin D deficiencies, as well as some tests to see how I was producing RBCs, what % were young vs. old (I am butchering this... but I can't remember). All of which were normal. So the high MCV this is genetic. I guess.

I haven't had these retested, but my MCV # was the same pre-Fargo and now. But - as long as I am running tests, I may as well ask for an update on B12, folate, and Vitamin D.

For those not familiar with MCV, a higher than normal value typically means the body is compensating for a lower NUMBER of RBCs by having each RBC be LARGER. Make sense? Usually this is the case if you're deficient in the vitamins listed above, are a heavy alcohol user, or your RBCs aren't maturing.

Again, I do not have a medical background and am probably getting this right... so please, correct me if I'm wrong, and take all of this with a grain of salt :).

Gluten - Like many have said, very unlikely given no GI issues.

Ferritin too high? I've done a bit of reading online, but it's hard to say what is "too high" (since I don't have a baseline)... But I did have someone contact me that is dealing with low iron (male, ferritin of just 10) and it sounds like our symptoms are somewhat similar. And I have heard that too-high of iron symptoms mirror that of too low.

Mono - I'll definitely ask to be tested for this. At least three people have contacted me to tell me they've had it without swollen glands or a sore throat. Although, I'm fairly certain it will be negative, based on Jenn's MD friend (THANK YOU for that, btw!) and his comment on WBC count.

Allergies - I wonder if this isn't a piece of the puzzle.I think this will definitely be on the list of things to test.

Cortisol - I wondered about this, but I have no baseline. So if I had it tested, would the # be valuable?

Absorption? - Is it possible to test for this? KM suggested this, and I seem to relate to the symptoms - only relying on the nutrients readily available (nothing stored), so the fact that I could run for a few miles before falling apart makes sense... that I would have used everything in my "blood" by that point and then there wouldn't be much to fall back to. It also might help explain why it has become worse in the last month??

Pregnant - Nope :)

And again, I know all of this thinking is probably too much. I have that tendency! I just really, really want to get on the roads as fast as possible, and if there's anything my analytical-brain can figure out to help me get there, well, I'm okay with that :).

Also, to reiterate what Jenn's MD connection said, which was said very eloquently, "In medicine we frequently talk about the probability of different
diseases in individual patients and we say that it is much more likely
for a common disease to present in an uncommon manner than it is for an
uncommon disease to be present."

I am happy to chalk all of my symptoms up to over-training and exhaustion.

Again, thank you to EVERYONE who has felt compelled to comment here, contact me through FB, or emailed me. Seriously. I appreciate MORE than you know. Additional thought/comments are completely appreciated. More than you know!! Even if it's just a "I'm on an off period as well" type of post. :)

Nichole Porath

Nichole is a blogger, elite level runner, and coach. She ran professionally for Brooks for two years after qualifying for the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials. During that time she founded TNC endurance, where she coaches and motivationally speaks to organizations large and small. This blog details her rise to national-level racing, and continues to follow her as she gets back into racing after starting a family. Read on, friends!

Some people have a B 12 level in the low normal range, but still have symptoms. I would make sure your level is in the higher end. Immature red blood cells are larger, so that means your body is producing a lot of them. Ferritin goes up with inflammation. You might have normal iron stores and a high ferritin, or you could be absorbing too much iron, like people with hemochromatosis. There is a normal range for cortisol levels, so you can get it tested, even without a baseline.

I hope so much you find the answer and an easy fix. I hollered when you passed at the NYC Marathon. I'm sorry the race didn't go as well as you would have liked, but you still beat all of our friends. Hugs from me, too!

Welcome!

I'm a runner, '12 Olympic Trials Qualifier, Team Nichole Coaching (TNC) owner and coach, former World Record holder in the indoor marathon, wife and mom. I am passionate about finding my potential as a runner and helping others do the same! Inspired by fitness, healthy eating, organization, family adventures, and sewing projects. Run along with me, friends!